Momma nursing piglets under new canopy.

Well…l we had to return the piglets to their momma or bottle 7 little piglets about every 2 hours. Besides, there is nothing like pig milk for piglets and milking momma was out of the question!  So with the brave help of Georgia and Laura we returned the pigs about 24 hours after delivery.  Momma was nestled down with a piglet that had been stillborn so we thought she would be calm but several steps from her with a piglet under each arm, one squealed, she rolled me and the piglets. There is nothing meaner than an momma pig protecting her little ones. Laura and Georgia dropped their piglets and ran.  I am not sure when I left go of the piglets but then I got out of her way too and observed, as they reunited through the tall grass.  They were happy at last! As she lay in her nest, we carefully and quietly set up a canopy over the content gathering.   In the photo, you will notice the slender metal legs supporting the blue canopy.  Well … that didn’t last long.  The boar was feeling amorous and during a visit killed two piglets and broke all the canopy legs.  Momma and the 5 remaining piglets were content under the collapsed canopy.    We rounded up 4 garbage cans, threw rocks and poured water into them for stability and set the canopy just high enough that they could enter and exit.  The Frickleton family worked hard to give the swine family proper cover.  We also closed the fence to keep the boar out.  All are well and the canopy has weathered rain, boar, wind and a mad momma pig who bit it and ripped at it when I pounded the stakes in to make it wind worthy.  Today, the remaining 5 siblings are two weeks old.